Say good-bye to being stuck because you don’t know where to start or what to do next.
We’ll guide and support you every step of the way as you plan, design, and begin implementing your plan.
Join us for a 12-week journey to transform your property into a flourishing ecosystem that supports pollinators and wildlife.
Registration is currently closed. Join our waitlist to be among the first to learn about our next courses.
🦋 Do you live in the eastern U.S. and want to start a new pollinator garden? Or incorporate more native plants on your property to attract pollinators and wildlife?
🦋 If so, are you unsure where to start? Or are you confused about how to sift through and apply the information you’ve found on the internet?
🦋 Would you like help figuring it all out?
We can help!
How to Create Pollinator and Wildlife Habitat is a comprehensive online course designed specifically for those living in the eastern U.S. Together we will take a 12-week journey that will guide and support you through the planning, designing, and beginning implementation stages of your project.
At the end of the course, you will be well on your way towards transforming your property into a flourishing ecosystem that supports pollinators and wildlife. Plus, you’ll have the skills and confidence to keep moving forward and potentially even expand the pollinator and wildlife habitat that you created during the course.
This program was a breakthrough for me. I’ve made a lot of attempts at turning my backyard into a nature oasis over the last 3 years or so and learned a lot, but I feel like this program helped me put it all together. The way each session built upon the previous ones and came together to make a plan for creating my backyard oasis exceeded my expectations.
I also found the accountability and live brainstorming/planning very helpful. It gave me the push I needed to make progress on putting a plan together.
~ Amanda J.
Who is this course for?
This course is for you if:
- You are ready to start creating a pollinator garden or larger pollinator and wildlife habitat, but don’t know how to get started.
- You are tired of wasting time and energy trying to figure out what to do on your own.
- You recognize and appreciate the value of having experts to teach and guide you.
- You enjoy the support, encouragement, and accountability that comes from learning to do something and working through a process with others who are doing the same thing.
- You are a fan of Backyard Ecology, have already learned a ton of stuff from our free educational content, and believe that you could benefit from having us walk you through a step-by-step process customized for your unique situation and property.
- You live in the eastern U.S. or the Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion (see map).
Why our approach works
This isn’t just a series of lectures or a bunch of pre-recorded videos. We take a very personal and hands-on approach to support and guide you every step of the way as you create a plan for your property – not a generic, made-up place that makes it easy for the instructors to talk about but has no meaning for you.
We also know that “real life” never goes exactly as planned and questions always come up when you go to implement a plan. So, we don’t help you create a plan just to abandon you when it comes time to put that plan into action. Instead, we take it one step further and are there for you as you start creating your pollinator and wildlife habitat. In fact, depending on how much site prep you need to do, your priorities for this spring, and your climate, it’s entirely possible for you to go from not having any sort of plan when you start the course to having plants in the ground by the end of the course.
You’re also not going through this by yourself. You’ll have the other members of this course helping you, cheering you on, and celebrating your successes. Life’s always easier when you are doing it with friends and this course encourages you to help and support each other.
Making and keeping a yard/garden can be daunting. I appreciated not only Shannon and Anthony’s vast, unbiased knowledge but also their encouraging attitudes. Breaking it down into steps AND having coaches with a positive, helpful attitude is the bees’ knees. And we all love bees. 😊
~ Katherine H.
What’s included
🦋 A live kick-off party focused on getting to know each other and making sure you know how to use the platform so that you can get the most out of the course. (Held through Zoom.)
🦋 7 pre-recorded lessons
One lesson will be released each week for the first 7 weeks. Each lesson is divided into bite-sized sections that can be done throughout the week on your own time. Each lesson will also include targeted action items that will move you step-by-step through the process of planning your habitat project, making a design, picking your plants, and creating a timeline to guide you as you implement your plan.
🦋 A digital copy of The Backyard Ecologist’s Habitat Creation Workbook to supplement the pre-recorded lessons and guide you through your action steps.
🦋 7 live support sessions (Held through Zoom.)
Each support session will be focused on answering questions related to that week’s pre-recorded lessons, diving deeper into the content, and helping you with your action steps. These support sessions are discussion based and are aimed at helping you move forward. Because of that, they end up being very personalized. Each support session will be recorded, and the recording will be available until May 10, 2024.
🦋 A private online forum designed just for course participants
The private forum will allow you to share your action steps, get feedback along the way, ask questions and continue discussions between support sessions, and interact with us and other members of the program. We’ll be very active in the online forum which means you’ll have direct access to us throughout the entire 12-week course, even during the weeks when we don’t have scheduled support sessions.
🦋 A certificate of completion
Everyone who completes all the pre-recorded lessons and the associated action steps will receive a personalized course completion certificate.
🦋 Opportunity to earn a private, 30-minute coaching call with us ($125 value)
Everyone who completes all the pre-recorded lessons, attends at least 6 of the live support sessions, and shares specific action steps within the forum will be able to book a 30-minute follow up coaching / support call with us anytime in 2024.
🦋 Opportunity to win a 3-month membership to the Backyard Ecology Community ($126 value)
One membership will be given to the person who makes the most progress during the course.
🦋 A live wrap-up party (held through Zoom) where we celebrate and share all the progress that you have made in 12 short weeks. (This is also where we’ll announce the prize winner.)
Register
Registration is currently closed. Join our waitlist to be among the first to learn about our next courses.
To register, choose where you are going to be creating your pollinator and wildlife habitat.
🍄 Why are you splitting the course into two groups – those working in yards and those working on larger properties?
Some techniques and concepts work better when applied on a smaller scale (yards), while others work better when applied on a larger scale (acreage and larger properties). We want to set you up for success and keep things as simple as possible for you, which includes not confusing you with techniques or concepts that may not apply to your situation. Breaking the group up based on how large of an area you are working in allows us to do that.
🍄 What constitutes “a yard” vs “a larger property”?
For the purposes of this program, we’re loosely defining a yard as the area around a home or building that is typically either in garden beds or is mowed. This includes traditional garden beds as well as the back corner of the property or the bank in the front yard that you are tired of mowing and think would look pretty in native wildflowers (not to mention being easier to maintain).
On the other hand, we’re defining a larger property as several acres that are often part of a farm (even a small one) and include “wilder areas” such as old fields, woods, or forests.
If you are unsure which category your site falls into, please contact us and we’ll be glad to help you figure it out.
Dates and times of live events
Registration is currently closed. Join our waitlist to be among the first to learn about our next courses.
Shannon and Anthony are well equipped with scientific knowledge and intellectual credibility, but they are also uniquely able to impart that knowledge in a down to earth way that makes it easy for people of all backgrounds to benefit from the program.
They were very innovative in tailoring their suggestions to each individual’s situation and desires and they were very respectful of each participant’s perspective. They gave me some fabulous ideas to develop a native wildflower meadow that will be much cheaper and easier for me than my original plans.
I also learned many things that I didn’t realize I needed to know – and isn’t that part of why you join things like this? There is a lot of information out there, but you don’t always know what you are missing.
~ Allison M.
What to expect
🦋 A fun, supportive environment that helps you move from dreaming about creating pollinator and wildlife habitat to actually doing it.
🦋 Step-by-step guidance for how to create and implement a plan for your property.
🦋 A balance between pre-recorded content for learning concepts on your own time and live support sessions to dive deeper, answer your questions, and provide personalized help.
🦋 Opportunities to get to know others who are also creating pollinator and wildlife habitat on their properties.
What we ask in return
🦋 Come with an open mind. Your solutions and balancing points may be different than someone else’s, and that’s ok.
🦋 Be willing to participate in the activities, including engaging in the online forum, to the extent that you are able and feel comfortable doing so. The online forum will be the primary location where we share our designs and continue our conversations between the live sessions.
🦋 Share your knowledge and experiences with other members of the group. We all know something that someone else doesn’t – whether it is about gardening, how to operate the tech, or something else entirely. And we all benefit when everyone shares what we know.
The program was very helpful in explaining the basics of getting started, the importance of choosing the right plants for the site and soil conditions and providing guidance on the ongoing management of the established habitat.
It was especially fun to participate in the small breakout sessions with other students. This provided an opportunity to meet and engage with others on similar journeys.
Shannon and Anthony also offered a private Zoom session with the students that I found very worthwhile. I may be selling my home next year and they shared valuable information and insight into ways to educate potential buyers about my native plant gardens and their importance to the environment.
Shannon and Anthony are easy to talk to, readily accessible to assist with questions, and extremely knowledgeable individuals. I highly recommend anyone interested in establishing a pollinator and wildlife habitat to take this program or any others they may offer.
~ Donna S.
FAQs
🍄 Who is this course for?
This course is designed specifically for people who meet the following criteria.
- You are ready to start creating a pollinator garden or larger pollinator and wildlife habitat, but don’t know how to get started.
- You are tired of wasting time and energy trying to figure out what to do on your own.
- You recognize and appreciate the value of having experts to teach and guide you.
- You enjoy the support, encouragement, and accountability that comes from learning to do something and working through a process with others who are doing the same thing.
- You are a fan of Backyard Ecology, have already learned a ton of stuff from our free educational content, and believe that you could benefit from having us walk you through a step-by-step process customized for your unique situation and property.
- You live in the eastern U.S. or the Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion (see map).
🍄 How much of this course takes place online?
All of it. The live sessions and events will be held through Zoom. There is an online forum for discussions between live sessions and to access the pre-recorded videos.
🍄 How much time will this take?
We recommend setting aside approximately 1-2 hours every week to watch any pre-recorded lessons for the week, take the appropriate action steps, and attend any live sessions for the week. However, at least half of that time can be scattered throughout the week as your schedule allows.
🍄 Will the live sessions be recorded?
The main part of the live sessions will be recorded, but not any breakout rooms that we go into for smaller group discussions. The recordings will be available until May 10.
🍄 Will I receive personal attention and feedback on my plan?
Yes! We recognize the importance and value of that personalized attention, not just during the planning stages but also as you begin putting that plan into action. That’s why we offer so many live, discussion-based support sessions and the online forum for continued feedback and support between the live support sessions.
🍄 Will this course help me get my garden or larger pollinator and wildlife habitat certified?
Yes. The lessons and discussions will prepare you to create pollinator and wildlife habitat that you can choose to have certified through your favorite national, state, or local habitat certification program.
Some common certification requirements that are covered by this course include:
- Defining your conservation objective,
- Identifying a locally appropriate habitat type or native species to focus on,
- Evaluating your site’s current vegetation and abiotic characteristics,
- Providing food, water, and shelter for all stages of an organism’s life cycle,
- Setting realistic goals related to your project,
- Choosing between different methods of site preparation and installation.
Please contact us if you would like more details on how the course would help you meet the requirements for a specific certification program.
🍄 $397 isn’t cheap. Is this course really worth it?
We recognize this course is an investment. However, we believe it is well worth that investment because:
- It will save you countless hours of trying to figure out how to do everything yourself.
- It will save you money by helping you avoid many of the most common mistakes.
- It is designed to get you results fast – potentially going from “no idea where to start” to planting within just 12 weeks.
- It provides you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to keep moving forward and an easy-to-follow process that you can use again to expand the pollinator and wildlife habitat you created during the course.
🍄 Can I pay for the course in installments?
Yes, you can pay for the course in 3 equal installments over 3 months.
🍄 The timing doesn’t work out for me. Will you be offering this course again?
Yes. We anticipate offering this course again beginning in mid to late July so that the participants will be ready to start implementing their plans for the fall planting season. Be sure to subscribe to The Backyard Ecologist’s Newsletter to find out all the details when they are announced.
🍄 What if I’m not very tech savvy?
Don’t worry. You don’t have to be a technological genius to participate. We kept the tech as simple as possible because we’re not the most tech savvy people either. If you can navigate a website and jump on a Zoom call, then you have all the basic technological skills you’ll need.
Also, to make sure everybody is comfortable navigating the platform, we’ll be doing a quick orientation session as part of the kick-off party. We’ll show you where everything is and how to participate in the online forum, plus give you time to ask questions.
🍄 What if I’m just getting started and don’t know much about native plants or creating pollinator and wildlife habitat?
That’s ok, and you’re not alone. Everybody started out at the beginning at some point in their journey and none of us know everything. We’re all still learning, and we designed this program with that in mind.
We believe that curiosity, an open mind, and a willingness to learn are the perfect tools for success no matter what your experience level is.
🍄 Why are you splitting the course into two groups – those working in yards and those working on larger properties?
Some techniques and concepts work better when applied on a smaller scale (yards), while others work better when applied on a larger scale (acreage and larger properties). We want to set you up for success and keep things as simple as possible for you, which includes not confusing you with techniques or concepts that may not apply to your situation. Breaking the group up based on how large of an area you are working in allows us to do that.
If you aren’t sure which group is the right one for you, contact us and we’ll help you figure it out.
🍄 What constitutes “a yard” vs “a larger property”?
For the purposes of this program, we’re loosely defining a yard as the area around a home or building that is typically either in garden beds or is mowed. This includes traditional garden beds as well as the back corner of the property or the bank in the front yard that you are tired of mowing and think would look pretty in native wildflowers (not to mention being easier to maintain).
On the other hand, we’re defining a larger property as several acres that are often part of a farm (even a small one) and include “wilder areas” such as old fields, woods, or forests.
If you aren’t sure which group is the right one for you, contact us and we’ll help you figure it out.
🍄 What if I have another question?
Contact us and we’ll be happy to answer your question.
You don’t have to do it alone.
Let us help you transform your property into a flourishing ecosystem that supports pollinators and wildlife. Say good-bye to being stuck because you don’t know where to start or what to do next. We’ll guide and support you every step of the way as you plan, design, and begin implementing your plan.
Who are we?
We are Shannon and Anthony Trimboli. We live in southcentral Kentucky and are life-long nature lovers. Shannon has an M.S. in Ecology and a B.S. in wildlife biology. Anthony has an M.S. in Agriculture and a B.S. in wildlife biology.
We are passionate about sharing our love of nature with others. We enjoy inspiring people to form their own connections with nature and then take action to create their own natural oases.
In addition to hosting Backyard Ecology, we operate a small native plant nursery and habitat consulting business for pollinators and wildlife. Shannon has also written multiple books and we both give presentations and keynotes focused on the topics we cover through Backyard Ecology.
Like you, we are also actively working on and managing our property to attract pollinators and wildlife. So, we understand all the excitement, challenges, frustrations, and celebrations that come with trying to create functioning ecosystems on your property because we’re experiencing the same things.
Make this the year you take action and create the pollinator and wildlife habitat you’ve been dreaming of.
Backyard Ecology’s Guiding Principles:
🦋 Curiosity: Nature is fun, interesting, and worth exploring. We will never know everything. Answers lead to more questions. That’s half the fun.
🦋 Balanced: You don’t have to choose. You can support nature AND the lifestyle you desire.
🦋 Science informed: Habitat creation and management should be based on the latest scientific research available.
🦋 Stewardship: Anyone can make a positive difference in the natural world and leave an ecological legacy on their property.
Registration is currently closed. Join our waitlist to be among the first to learn about our next courses.